This brief outlines an operational definition of the private sector in health service delivery, developed in collaboration with the WHO's Technical Advisory Group on the Governance of the Private Sector for Universal Health Coverage. The absence of a common definition was recognized as a challenge, potentially leading to an underestimation of the private health sector's impact on health systems. The private sector encompasses various subcomponents, including direct provision of health care, management of health care institutions, manufacturing of health care goods, and financing of health care. The focus of this definition is on private sector entities involved in service delivery.

Private health care providers play an increasingly important role in the health systems of many low-income and middle-income countries, easing some of the pressure on governments to provide health care services for all citizens and helping them to overcome funding constraints. The need to regulate the activities of the private sector has become increasingly apparent. However, many countries have little experience of regulation, and in low-income countries the priority of health ministries is to deliver basic health care, rather than implementing what are often "imported" regulatory frameworks.

The purpose of this workbook is to assist ministries of health, health managers and practitioners in engaging with the private sector on delivery of quality maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) services in lower- and middle-income countries. Private health care is one of the fastest growing segments of the health-care system in lower- and middle-income countries, and private providers are an important source of health care. To accelerate progress to reach the Sustainable Development Goals for ending preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths, it is critical that whole health system organizations invest not only in increasing coverage of interventions, but also in quality. The audience for the workbook is those who are involved with organizing and implementing processes for engaging the private sector in delivery of quality MNCH services.

This case study documents the experience of engaging with the private sector in health to maintain the delivery and use of essential health services (EHS) with a specific focus on maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) and family planning (FP) services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan. A case study methodology was employed, drawing on desk review and key informant interviews, which were conducted between February and April 2022. Several opportunities were raised through the case study, to seize momentum, to ‘build back’ and nurture trust in the health system eroded by COVID-19 pandemic, harnessing all health sectors. While these were specific to Pakistan, they can be relevant to a wider audience.

This case study documents the experience, benefits, challenges, and lessons learnt of engaging the private sector in health to maintain the delivery and use of essential maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH), including family planning (FP) services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda. A case study methodology was employed, drawing on desk review and key informant interviews, which were conducted between November and December 2021. Several opportunities were raised by respondents, to seize momentum, to ‘build back’ and nurture trust in the health system eroded by COVID-19 pandemic, harnessing all health sectors. While these were specific to Uganda, they are applicable to a wider audience and contexts.

Although many countries already make use of private sector services to achieve policy objectives in public health care provision, it remains a controversial topic. Drawing on a wide range of country experiences, this book considers the use of the private sector in the provision of public health services in developing countries, in terms of: assessing the potential for private sector involvement, contracting with the private sector for health services, regulating the sector, and what to do when key information is not available.

This practical and handy textbook offers a succinct yet comprehensive overview of the main challenges, issues and solutions in global health in relation to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030 agenda. Subdivided into 11 parts, devoted each to a macro-topic, the book opens with an introduction to Global Health followed by an overview of the global burden of disease – from child and maternal health to communicable and non-communicable diseases. The authors further examine the social determinants of health, health systems’ features as well as innovations, governance and methods in Global Health. In consideration of the emerging discussions and ideas, and beyond the more traditional and essential elements of global health, the book also looks at the need to re-think the whole concept of global health and the importance of a “decolonized” approach that engages low and lower-middle countries fully. One entire part is then devoted to analyzing the major threats to the health of humanity such as climate change, the need for an ecological approach to health (including “One Health” approaches), and, ultimately, planetary health. Written by an international panel of more than 100 experts, this manual will be an excellent resource for students in a broad range of disciplines – from medicine and other scientific studies to economics, social science, anthropology and international relations. Pragmatic and reader-friendly, it will further be a valuable tool for policymakers, program implementers and those wishing to build knowledge on the meaning, principles and practices of global health.